Denise Fergus has spoken out in disbelief after hearing news of the kidnapping in a Newcastle Primark by two young teens.

The mum of James Bulger, who was two when he was abducted from a Liverpool shopping centre, tortured and murdered 23 years ago by ten-year-old boys Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, said she “couldn’t believe it had happened again”.

Denise was on Loose Women following the news that the two girls, one aged 13 and a second aged 14 had admitted to kidnapping a two-year-old girl from a Primark store in the city centre.

She was asked how she felt hearing crimes like that were still being committed: “It absolutely does, hearing stories like this is horrible. I can’t believe it has happened again. I just have to relive it all, especially with social media.”

Denise explained that she was constantly aware of similar crimes to that of her son’s murder and said she was always notified so she knew what to expect to see in the news, adding: “It is just horrendous reading this.”

Sympathising with the parents of the young girl she recalled how she felt when her son James had been taken by Venable and Thompson: “Every minute without your child is like an hour, you’re just desperate to get your child back.”

Denise explained that she used to blame herself over the “split second” moment of letting go of her son’s hand adding over time she has tried to deal with it: “It’s still hard to live with, but you learn to live with it.”

Denise and James Fergus

It has been over two decades since James was murdered and since then she has set up a charity in honour of her son, The James Bulger Memorial Trust with the idea to help give back to others who have been in the same situation as her.

“Over the years I’ve become friends with a lot of people in the same circumstances that I am in. We all look after each other, and care for each other.”

There is one high-profile family Denise hasn’t met which she confirmed when asked by Janet Street Porter: “Can I ask you if you have spoken to the McCanns?”

“No I haven’t If they want to speak to me I am more than willing to speak to them but I don’t want to intrude,” she explained.